Capon questions

[RogerShoaf]

Greetings, this is my first post.

I have read all of the posts about how to caponize and this intrigues me as the chickens I get in the store can in no way be described as succulent

Of those folks that have been raising capons.for a while and dining on these critters, tell me about the meat.

I am curious also about the differences in various breeds and the effect on the age of the birds are raised to. In other words does the meat continue to improve to 8 months and then degrade from there or is that just the age when they don't get much bigger?

Also, if an older bird was caponized lets say at 4 to 6 months, and then harvested at 8 months is the meat as good as when they get fixed young?

 

[enola]

The method of cooking is very important when trying to achieve a 'succulent' chicken.

I think one of the reasons for caponizing at a very young age is to avoid all of the hormones that affect growing/maturing roosters.

It is also much easier to perform the procedure on young cockerels than on a partially mature rooster.

 

[RogerShoaf]

Enola,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

I understand that the procedure is easier when young, The reason I was asking about fixing the older rooster was that I was curious if you were successful in the procedure would time cure the damage done to the quality of the meat after the testosterone had worked it way out of his system? Often I see where folks are happy to get rid of roosters once they start crowing and if altering him at that time would allow him to calm down and live for another 4 months would he still taste like an 8 month old rooster or would he taste better?

 

[enola]

I can't answer your question, sorry. On caponizing partially mature roosters....... caponizing a very young cockerel is a relatively procedure. Waiting until a cockerel is 4 or months old or older is greatly going to increase the danger of losing the cockeral.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Hello Roger - hopping around through your posts here...

Fixing an old rooster probably won't improve the meat, the old lit says the benefits of caponization are lessened after 8mos. I don't know yet for myself, but I did hold one capon back to run him out long for the taste test. I'm to report back in Kass' graphic thread when I do.

There is no bad chicken, period. Its all in the preparation and treatment of the meat. Knowing how to prepare what comes off your chopping block will come with the experience of growing out your chosen breed.
Good read here.

 

[RogerShoaf]

Hello Roger - hopping around through your posts here...

Fixing an old rooster probably won't improve the meat, the old lit says the benefits of caponization are lessened after 8mos. I don't know yet for myself, but I did hold one capon back to run him out long for the taste test. I'm to report back in Kass' graphic thread when I do.

There is no bad chicken, period. Its all in the preparation and treatment of the meat. Knowing how to prepare what comes off your chopping block will come with the experience of growing out your chosen breed.
Good read here.

So lets say you had a rooster that was about 16 weeks old. He was a larger breed and if left to grow he would have more meet on his bones. If you fixed him at this age and processed him at 8 months my suspicion is that there would be some improvement in the taste and quality of the meat as well as the quantity even if the quality was less than his brother who was fixed at 4 weeks and processed at 8 months.

What do you think?

 

[Maggiesdad]

So lets say you had a rooster that was about 16 weeks old. He was a larger breed and if left to grow he would have more meet on his bones. If you fixed him at this age and processed him at 8 months my suspicion is that there would be some improvement in the taste and quality of the meat as well as the quantity even if the quality was less than his brother who was fixed at 4 weeks and processed at 8 months.

What do you think?

I think you're right. He would be better than if he was left uncut.

And by "better" , I mean he will have more fat and more fat distributed in the muscling. Once the 'nads are gone, his main drive is to eat and hang out.